UNIVERSITY   OF   CALIFORNIA 

COLLEGE   OF   AGRICULTURE 

AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BERKELEY,    CALIFORNIA 

CIRCULAR  262 

Revised  September,  1928 

CABBAGE  PRODUCTION  IN  CALIFORNIA 

HENRY  A.  JONESi 


Cabbage  is  a  cool-season  crop,  making  its  best  development  in  those 
localities  where  it  can  grow  to  maturity  under  moderately  humid 
conditions  and  where  the  temperature  is  cool  and  equable.  In  Cali- 
fornia cabbage  does  best  on  the  coast  and  in  the  bay  regions  where 
the  climate  is  subject  to  the  modifying  influence  of  large  bodies  of 
water.  In  these  regions  it  grows  well  throughout  most  of  the  year.  In 
the  interior  valleys  the  crop  is  grown  mainly  during  the  fall,  winter 
and  early  spring. 

SEASONS   OF   PRODUCTION 

Cabbage  is  grown  chiefly  for  local  consumption,  but  some  localities 
produce  a  considerable  amount  for  distant  shipment.  Most  of  the 
cabbage  shipped  in  carload  lots  from  California  is  moved  between 
December  and  the  middle  of  June.  This  brings  the  California  crop 
into  competition  with  the  late  crop  that  is  kept  in  storage  in  New 
York  and  Wisconsin  and  with  the  early  crop  from  the  southern  states. 
By  the  end  of  March  the  stored  product  has  been  almost  entirely 
moved,  but  Alabama,  Florida,  Louisiana,  South  Carolina  and  Texas 
ship  enormous  quantities  north  and  keep  the  market  well  supplied 
until  the  middle  of  May  or  first  of  June.  Then  the  early  crop  starts 
to  move  from  Maryland,  New  Jersey,  Ohio,  Virginia,  and  Tennessee. 
If  the  northern  late  crop  is  below  the  average,  or  if  the  southern 
acreage  is  small  or  the  yield  low,  there  should  be  a  strong  demand 
for  California  cabbage  at  a  price  that  will  make  eastern  shipment 
profitable.  Figure  1  shows  the  average  farm  price  of  cabbage  for  the 
United  States  on  the  15th  of  each  month  for  a  period  of  15  years, 
1910  to  1924  inclusive.  The  peak  of  prices  is  usually  reached  during 
May  and  June.    This  is  near  the  end  of  the  Florida,  South  Carolina 

iProfessor  of  Truck  Crops  and  Plant  Breeder  in  the  Experiment  Station. 


2  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 

and  Texas  shipments  and  before  the  early  crop  of  the  north  is  on  the 
market.  During  this  period,  Virginia,  Maryland,  Ohio,  Mississippi 
and  Tennessee  are  the  heaviest  shippers.  It  is  at  this  time  that  Cali- 
fornia must  put  cabbage  on  the  markets  of  the  East  if  profitable 
returns  are  to  be  expected  over  a  series  of  years.  During  July  and 
August,  the  large  northern  and  eastern  markets  are  fairly  well  sup- 
plied by  the  local  growers,  which  accounts  largely  for  the  falling 
off  in  carlot  shipments  during  mid-summer. 


340 

3Z0 

3.00 

2.80 

2 

^2.60 
0 
P 

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2.20 

2.00 

1.80 

/  ui. 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

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15 

15 

15 

AN. 

FEB. 

MAR. 

APR. 

MAY 

JUNE 

JULY 

AUG. 

SEPT. 

OCT. 

NOV 

DEC 

Fig.  1. — Average  farm  price  in  the  United  States  per  100  pounds  of  cabbage 
on  the  15th  of  each  month  for  the  years  1910  to  1924  inclusive.  (Data  from 
U.  S.D.A.  Yearbook. 


In  figure  2  are  charted  the  periods  of  shipment  of  the  most 
important  cabbage  producing  states  and  districts,  showing  the  rela- 
tion they  bear  to  one  another.  From  this  diagram  it  can  be  seen  at 
once  which  are  the  main  competing  areas. 

In  table  1  is  given  the  carlot  shipments  of  cabbage  by  months  for 
the  entire  country.  A  considerable  decrease  in  carlot  shipments  takes 
place  during  July  and  August.  The  demand  is  usually  taken  care  of 
by  home  grown  supplies  during  this  period,  which  accounts  for  the 
small  carlot  movements. 


Cntc.  262] 


CABBAGE  PRODUCTION  IN   CALIFORNIA 


The  large  cabbage  growing  districts  are  pretty  well  defined,  the 
principal  ones  being  in  the  northern  states.  The  most  extensive 
cabbage  district  in  the  United  States  is  in  the  state  of  New  York  and 
lies  between  the  cities  of  Buffalo  and  Syracuse.   About  one-fourth  of 


Shippirx^  Di/irici 


Appro* irrvaie     Shipping   SearoTv. 


Jai\ 


Alabama 

Arizona 

California  N.D. 

California  S.D. 

California  CD 

California    I.\i 

Colorado 

Florida 

Georgia 

Illinois 

Iowa. 

Kansas 

Louisiana 

Maryland 

Michigan 

Minne.soia 

Mississippi 

Misso\jri 

New/  Jersexj 

NeW  Mexico 

NeW  "fbrk 

florik  Caroling 

Ohio 

Oregon 

B9i\ns\jl\>ania 

So\rth  Carolina 

Tennessee  • 

Texas 

\Han 

\Jirginia,  Easl  .Shore 

Virginia,  Norfolk  Sedion 

Virginia,  Olher 

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'NXJisconsirv 


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50  cars  or  less 
mm  51    to  100  cars 


101   to  500  cars 
Over  500  cars  d 


Fig.  2. — Periods  of  shipment  of  the  important  cabbage  producing  states; 
average  for  the  years  1925  to  1927.  The  abbreviations  in  California  are  N.D., 
Northern  District;  S.D.,  Southern  District;  CD.,  Central  District;  I.V.,  Imperial 
Valley.    (Data  from  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.) 

the  acreage  of  the  entire  country  is  found  in  this  district.  Other 
important  areas  of  production  are  Long  Island,  New  York;  around 
Norfolk  and  in  Wythe  County,  Virginia ;  along  Lake  Michigan  from 
Chicago  to  Milwaukee;  between  Denver  and  Greeley,  Colorado;  in 


University  of  California — experiment  station 


TABLE  1 

Carlot  Shipments  of  Cabbage  by  Months  for  the  United  States,  1922-1927. 

(Data  from  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.) 


Year 

Jan. 

Feb. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

1922 

3,346 

3,422 

4,185 

3,831 

4,010 

2,253 

660 

1,436 

3,523 

7,060 

3,824 

2,528 

1923 

2,985 

2,299 

2,630 

3,779 

4,135 

2,234 

853 

1,603 

3,384 

6,760 

4,211 

2,389 

1924 

4,097 

3,665 

4,565 

3,365 

3,722 

2,462 

1,028 

1,496 

3,559 

6,165 

4,576 

2,415 

1925 

4,075 

3,597 

3,804 

4,142 

3,660 

1,784 

666 

1,270 

4,021 

6,750 

3,595 

2,592 

1926 

3,619 

2,947 

3,418 

4,079 

4,444 

2,769 

850 

1,114 

3,368 

6,453 

4,094 

323 

1927* 

4,275 

3,051 

4,341 

3,960 

2,087 

2,459 

705 

1,218 

3,504 

6,134 

3,747 

2,517 

6-yr.avrge... 

3,733 

3,164 

3,824 

3,859 

3,676 

2,327 

794 

1,356 

3,560 

6,554 

4,008 

2,127 

*  Subject  to  revision. 


TABLE  2 


Carlot  Shipments  of  Cabbage  by  States  or  Districts,  1922-1927. 
(Data  from  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.) 


States  or  districts 


Total,  all  states.. 

Alabama 

Arizona 

Arkansas 

California 

Colorado 

Florida 

Georgia 

Illinois 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maryland 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

New  Jersey 

New  Mexico 

New  York 

North  Carolina 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania... 
South  Carolina 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Utah 

Virginia 

Washington 

West  Virginia 

Wisconsin 


1922 


40,078 

1,366 

1 

8 

738 

1,889 

3,002 

151 

144 

560 

12 

73 

349 

448 

871 

1,156 

1,629 

16 

68 

57 

9,785 

213 

590 

4 

348 

3,365 

563 

3,996 

28 

2,944 

99 

29 

5,452 


1923 


37,262 

1,561 

24 

13 

683 

3,134 

1,225 

105 

289 

391 

9 

85 

449 

219 

705 

981 

1,134 

22 

71 

48 

9,121 

364 

538 

6 

310 

4,327 

270 

1,368 

28 

3,331 

108 

26 

6,218 


1925 


39,956 

1,270 

19 

19 

644 

1,396 

1,933 

91 

198 

267 

63 

45 

646 

238 

583 

909 

674 

140 

31 

61 

13,374 

371 

413 

40 

642 

3,372 

317 

4,024 

89 

2,213 

89 

22 

5,707 


1926 


40,385 

1,586 

42 

40 

671 

1,315 

1,701 

66 

195 

461 

67 

17 

333 

166 

286 

1,136 

990 

112 

57 

172 

12,412 

347 

546 

172 

511 

2,695 

.609 

6,256 

69 

1,814 

171 

57 

5,182 


1927' 


37,998 

1,803 

33 

36 

349 

695 

1,030 

58 

186 

433 

71 

24 

595 

293 

321 

992 

710 

74 

55 

128 

13,111 

293 

753 

52 

423 

1,967 

666 

5,550. 

74 

2,724 

107 

39 

4,274 


6-year 
average 


39,466 

1,405 

21 

20 

575 

1,667 

2,114 

87 

215 

442 

42 

59 

411 

312 

572 

1,121 

957 

73 

54 

84 

11,471 

309 

583 

_60 

"421 

.2,854 

.    462 

4,742 

55 

2,738 

109 

33 

5,289 


Subject  to  revision. 


CiRC.  262] 


CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA 


Florida;  in  the  Young  Island  district  of  South  Carolina;  in  Copiah 
County,  Mississippi ;  and  in  the  Lower  Rio  Grande  Valley  of  southern 
Texas.    Table  2  gives  the  carlot  shipments  of  the  important  cabbage 

TABLE  3 

Carlot  Shipments  of  Cabbage  by  Months  for  California,  1922-1927 

(Data  from  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.) 


Year 

Jan. 

Feb. 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 

1922 

156 

86 

115 

144 

142 

69 

0 

0 

10 

8 

1 

7 

1923 

23 

69 

186 

167 

194 

27 

2 

0 

1 

7 

2 

5 

1924 

61 

57 

62 

25 

104 

12 

9 

11 

11 

3 

2 

13 

1925 

50 

44 

79 

44 

208 

105 

45 

2 

9 

21 

31 

5 

1926 

146 

156 

174 

75 

61 

30 

5 

2 

4 

0 

3 

15 

1927* 

54 

68 

90 

41 

77 

4 

4 

1 

4 

2 

0 

4 

Average- 

82 

80 

118 

83 

131 

41 

11 

3 

7 

7 

7 

8 

*  Subject  to  revision. 

states  for  the  years  1922  to  1927.  The  total  for  all  states  shows  that 
the  annual  carlot  shipments  of  cabbage  for  the  six  year  period,  1922- 
1927,  remained  fairly  constant. 

TABLE  4 

Carlot  Shipments  of  Cabbage  by  Counties  for  California,  1925-1927 

(Data  from  Bureau  of  Agricultural  Economics.) 


County 

1925 

1926 

1927 

Contra  Costa 

2 
1 

20 
1 

11 
215 
0 
5 
1 
107 
4 

50 
2 

14 
8 
3 
181 
3 
3 
8 
7 
2 

0 

54 
0 
4 
171 
2 
0 

24 

145 

1 

18 
4 
1 

19 
1 
223 
8 
0 
1 
0 
0 

0 

Fresno 

0 

Imperial 

85 

Inyo 

0 

Kern 

0 

Los  Angeles 

69 

Marin 

0 

0 

Monterey 

9 

Orange 

65 

Riverside 

0 

Sacramento 

4 

San  Bernardino 

0 

San  Diego 

0 

San  Francisco 

1 

San  Joaquin 

0 

San  Mateo 

104 

Santa  Barbara 

9 

Santa  Clara 

Santa  Cruz 

0 

Ventura 

0 

Yolo 

0 

Total 

648 

677 

347 

6  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

While  cabbage  growing  in  California  has  not  reached  the  concen- 
tration of  production  that  exists  in  some  other  states,  nevertheless 
the  producing  areas  are  pretty  well  localized.  Table  3  gives  the  carlot 
shipments  by  months  for  the  entire  state  for  the  years  1922  to  1927. 
In  table  4  is  given  the  carlot  shipments  by  counties  for  the  years  1925 
to  1927.  The  main  districts  are  around  the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  in  the 
Colma  region  south  of  San  Francisco,  and  in  Orange  County. 

SEEDING,   TRANSPLANTING,   AND    HARVESTING    SEASONS    FOR 
VARIOUS   DISTRICTS 

In  the  Colma  district  of  San  Mateo  County,  cabbage  is  seeded, 
transplanted,  harvested  and  shipped  during  nearly  every  month  of 
the  year.  A  variety  known  as  San  Francisco  Market,  or  Colombo 
Market,  is  grown  in  this  district  almost  exclusively.  It  is  a  very 
distinct  type,  the  head  being  flat  and  the  leaves  especially  heavy 
veined.  This  variety  is  very  hardy  and  is  noted  for  its  slow  habit  of 
growth.  The  seed  is  grown  locally.  The  crop  is  hauled  to  San  Fran- 
cisco by  truck  or  is  shipped  to  the  cities  in  the  interior  valleys.  Most 
of  the  carlot  shipments  are  made  from  November  to  March.  However, 
very  little  is  shipped  to  the  eastern  markets.  Some  of  the  surplus 
is  made  into  sauerkraut. 

In  the  Salinas  Valley  district  of  Monterey  County,  the  time  of 
seeding  ranges  from  June  to  October;  the  plants  are  transplanted 
into  the  field  from  September  to  December;  most  of  the  crop  is 
harvested  from  January  to  May. 

In  Contra  Costa  County  seed  for  the  fall  crop  is  ordinarily  planted 
from  July  1  to  July  15,  and  the  crop  is  harvested  from  October  15 
to  January  15.  The  seed  for  the  summer  crop  is  planted  from  Feb- 
ruary 1  to  February  15,  and  the  crop  is  harvested  from  about  July 
1  to  August  31.  The  Flat  Dutch  is  grown  for  the  summer  crop  and 
Copenhagen  Market  for  the  fall  crop.  Most  of  the  crop  is  sold  on 
the  local  markets. 

In  San  Diego  County,  seed  is  sown  from  June  15  to  August  1 
and  plants  are  set  in  the  field  from  July  15  to  September  1.  The 
chief  varieties  planted  are  Danish  Ballhead  and  Winningstadt.  A 
portion  of  the  crop  is  marketed  locally;  the  balance  is  shipped  to 
points  in  Arizona,  Utah,  Washington  and  other  parts  of  the  West. 
Production  is  concentrated  mainly  in  the  El  Cajon,  San  Diego,  and 
Tia  Juana  valleys. 

In  Ventura  County  cabbage  can  be  grown  the  year  round.  Most 
of  the  crop  is  marketed  in  Los  Angeles.  Growing  is  largely  localized 
about  Oxnard.    The  variety  usually  planted  is  Winningstadt. 


ClRC.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  7 

In  San  Bernardino  County  production  is  primarily  for  the  local 
markets,  the  surplus  going  to  Los  Angeles.  There  is  probably  more 
cabbage  imported  into  the  county  than  is  shipped  out.  Seed  for  the 
winter  crop  is  sown  about  July  15  and  transplanted  into  the  field 
early  in  September.  The  crop  is  harvested  during  December  and 
January.  Seed  planted  in  February  will  mature  a  good  crop  in  June. 
The  common  varieties  are  Winningstadt  and  Danish  Ballhead. 

In  Orange  County  cabbage  is  grown  as  a  late  fall,  winter  and 
spring  crop.  Most  of  the  carlot  shipments  are  made  from  January 
to  June. 

Cabbage  production  in  Sonoma  County  is  largely  localized  about 
the  city  of  Santa  Rosa.  The  local  markets  and  San  Francisco  take 
most  of  the  crop.  The  Early  York  variety  is  grown  for  the  early 
spring  crop,  maturing  in  May.  Early  Flat  Dutch  is  harvested  in 
June  following  Early  York,  while  Late  Flat  Dutch  is  harvested  in 
October,  November,  and  December. 

In  Santa  Cruz  County,  seeding  and  transplanting  can  be  done 
at  almost  any  time  of  the  year.  The  harvesting  season  extends 
throughout  the  entire  year.  For  the  main  summer  crop,  however,  the 
transplanting  is  done  in  December  and  for  the  winter  crop,  in  August. 
The  principal  varieties  planted  are  Early  Flat  Dutch,  Copenhagen 
Market,  Early  Jersey  Wakefield,  Late  Flat  Dutch,  and  Danish 
Ballhead. 

In  the  Sacramento,  San  Joaquin  and  Santa  Clara  valleys  seed  is 
sown  during  June,  July  and  August  for  the  late  fall  and  winter  crop 
and  in  December  and  January  for  the  spring  crop.  The  principal 
varieties  are  Copenhagen  Market,  Early  Flat  Dutch  and  Late  Flat 
Dutch. 

Only  a  small  acreage  of  cabbage  is  grown  in  Tehama  County. 
For  the  early  crop,  seed  is  usually  sown  in  hotbeds  in  December  and 
the  crop  matures  during  May  and  June.  The  varieties  grown  are 
the  Copenhagen  Market  and  Early  Flat  Dutch. 

In  Los  Angeles  County  a  considerable  tonnage  of  cabbage  is 
shipped  throughout  the  winter,  spring  and  early  summer.  At  present 
a  large  portion  of  the  cabbage  shipped  from  Los  Angeles  County  is  in 
cars  of  mixed  vegetables,  so  it  does  not  appear  in  the  carlot  movements. 
The  main  shipping  season  is  from  January  to  June.  The  Winning- 
stadt is  the  favorite  shipping  cabbage;  the  Flat  Dutch,  Danish  Ball- 
head,  and  Copenhagen  Market  varieties  are  grown  for  the  home  trade. 

In  Imperial  Valley,  cabbage  can  be  grown  during  the  late  fall, 
winter  and  early  spring.  Seeding  should  be  regulated  so  the  plants 
can  be  set  in  the  field  during  October  or  November.    Some  of  the 


8  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

growers  sow  seed  directly  in  the  field  in  double  rows  on  raised  beds 
similar  to  those  used  for  lettuce.  The  plants  are  thinned  later  to  12 
or  18  inches  apart.  The  crop  is  harvested  from  February  to  May. 
Most  of  the  shipments  are  made  during  February,  March  and  April. 
The  principal  varieties  are  Copenhagen  Market  and  Golden  Acre. 


VARIETIES 

It  is  very  important  that  a  variety  or  strain  be  selected  for  plant- 
ing that  grows  and  produces  well  in  the  locality  under  consideration 
and  at  the  same  time  satisfies  the  demands  of  the  market  to  which 
the  district  caters. 

Winning  stadt. — This  variety  is  at  present  the  one  most  exten- 
sively grown  in  southern  California,  and  probably  is  the  favorite 
variety  among  the  shippers.  It  has  *  an  excellent  dark  green  color, 
giving  it  a  fresh  appearance  even  after  long  shipment,  and  is  of  the 
proper  size  to  pack  well.  It  is  a  solid  heading,  sharp-pointed  cabbage 
and  is  very  hardy. 

Early  Jersey  Wakefield. — The  head  of  Jersey  Wakefield  is  sharp- 
pointed.  It  has  a  very  small  head,  and  except  where  extreme  earli- 
ness  is  essential  the  Charleston  Wakefield  or  Copenhagen  Market  is 
preferred.  It  does  not  hold  up  long  after  maturity.  It  is  an  excellent 
variety  for  the  home  garden  but  is  not  grown  extensively  in 
California. 

Golden  Acre. — This  is  probably  the  earliest  cabbage  grown, 
maturing  a  few  days  before  the  Early  Jersey  Wakefield.  The  heads 
are  small,  round  and  very  solid. 

Late  Flat  Dutch. — Also  known  as  Premium  Flat  Dutch  and 
Premium  Late  Flat  Dutch.  The  head  is  large  and  considerably 
flattened.  A  late  maturing  variety  but  an  exceptionally  heavy 
producer;  it  is  not  suited  for  shipment  because  of  its  large  size.  A 
good  type  of  Late  Flat  Dutch  is  shown  in  Figure  3. 

Copenhagen  Market. — The  Copenhagen  Market  is  a  very  popular 
variety  and  is  being  planted  extensively  as  a  truck  crop,  market 
garden  crop,  and  in  the  home  garden.  The  head  is  nearly  round, 
solid,  and  matures  at  approximately  the  same  time  as  the  Charleston 
Wakefield,  which  it  is  largely  replacing  in  popularity. 

Early  Flat  Dutch. — This  is  one  of  the  oldest  varieties  grown  in 
this  country.  It  is  a  short  stemmed  variety  and  has  very  few  outer 
leaves.  It  is  grown  in  central  California  as  a  late  winter  and  early 
spring  crop. 


Circ.  262] 


CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA 


Danish  Ballhead  or  Hollander. — This  is  a  late  variety  and  is  the 
one  most  commonly  grown  for  storage  purposes.  The  head  is  nearly 
round,  solid,  of  good  quality  and  of  a  bluish  green  color. 

The  shipping  and  market  term  "Danish  type"  refers  to  all  those 
varieties  with  hard  smooth  heads  with  oval,  round  or  slightly  flat 
shape,  and  with  smooth,  tight,  broadly  over-lapping  leaves,  such  as 
Danish  Ballhead  and  Cannonball. 


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Fig.  3. — Late  Flat  Dutch  cabbage.  Specimen  at  the  right  shows  growth  habit 
of  the  entire  plant.  Same  plant  at  the  left  with  near  leaves  removed  to  show 
head  type. 

Scott's  Cross. — This  is  a  variety  grown  to  some  extent  in  the  Los 
Angeles  district.  The  variety  is  said  to  be  a  cross  between  Winning- 
stadt  and  Flat  Dutch.  It  is  a  heavier  yielder  than  Winningstadt 
and  apparently  tolerates  considerable  cold  and  checking  in  growth 
without  injuring  its  ability  to  head. 


GROWING  THE   PLANTS 

Plants  may  be  raised  in  hotbeds,  coldframes,  or  in  open  beds.  The 
locality  and  the  time  of  the  year  that  the  seed  is  sown  will  determine 
the  method  to  be  used. 

Growing  Plants  in  Hotbeds. — In  the  higher  altitudes  if  plants  are 
started  during  the  cold  winter  months  it  is  often  an  advantage  to 
sow  the  seed  in  hotbeds.  The  beds  should  be  located  where  they  will 
be  protected  from  the  prevailing  winds,  and  have  an  abundance  of 
sunlight  and  good  natural  drainage.  They  should  be  situated  so  as 
to  have  a  ready  supply  of  water  available.  Figure  4  shows  the  cross 
section  of  a  hotbed  with  dimensions  and  method  of  filling.  The  bottom 
of  the  pit  is  22  inches  below  the  ground  line.  The  north  side  of  the 
frame  should  be  at  least  6  inches  higher  than  the  south  side.   Figure 


10 


UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


4  also  shows  the  top  view  of  hotbed,  giving  dimensions  and  methods 
of  construction. 

Fresh  horse  manure  should  be  spread  uniformly  in  a  compact  pile. 
When  heating  starts  the  manure  should  be  placed  in  the  beds.  That 
portion  of  the  pile  heating  most  violently  should  be  placed  at  the 
bottom  of  the  bed  and  the  remainder  placed  on  top.    Each  three  or 

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Fig.  4. — Above,  cross  section  of  hotbed  showing  method  of  construction  and 
filling.  Below,  top  view  of  coldframe  or  hotbed,  with  dimensions  and  method 
of  construction. 


four  inches  of  manure  added  should  be  well  tramped  so  as  to  have 
the  entire  mass  uniformly  packed.  A  bucket  or  two  of  water  added 
to  each  bed  will  prevent  burning  during  fermentation.  About  four 
inches  of  soil  should  be  spread  over  the  manure.  A  sandy  loam  soil  is 
best ;  it  should  be  free  from  large  clods  and  stones,  or  else  it  should 
be  sieved  through  a  screen  with  about  one-fourth  inch  mesh.  Within 
a  day  or  two  after  placing  the  manure  in  the  beds  it  will  heat 
violently  but  the  heating  will  subside  in  another  day  or  two.  Seed 
should  not  be  planted  until  after  the  first  violent  heat  is  over.    When 


Cine.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  11 

the  temperature  has  receded  to  85°-80°F.  the  seed  can  be  planted. 
It  is  best  to  plant  the  seed  in  rows  three  to  four  inches  apart  and 
one-fourth  to  one-half  inch  deep.  Seed  should  be  scattered  thinly  in 
the  row  as  this  guards  against  a  weak,  leggy  plant  and  lowers  the 
seedling  mortality.  After  seeds  are  covered  the  soil  should  be  tamped 
lightly  or  rolled  to  insure  rapid  and  uniform  germination.  After 
watering,  the  bed  should  be  covered  and  left  until  the  seedlings  are 
just  breaking  through  the  soil,  then  given  plenty  of  sunlight  and 
ventilation.  A  too  high  temperature  at  this  time  is  likely  to  produce 
a  leggy,  weak  plant,  subject  to  damping-off ;  a  tall  weak  plant  is  liable 
to  lodge,  thus  causing  a  crooked  stem  to  develop  and  making  trans- 
planting difficult.  Watering  should  be  done  only  on  bright  mornings 
so  that  the  soil  surface  will  soon  dry.  It  should  be  done  thoroughly 
but  not  too  often. 

The  hotbeds  may  be  covered  with  any  material  that  will  hold  the 
heat  in  the  bed  and  protect  the  bed  from  beating  rains.  Glass  sash, 
muslin  or  other  material  may  be  used.  A  medium  weight  muslin  is 
much  cheaper  than  glass  and  seems  to  give  satisfaction  in  most  sec- 
tions of  California.  The  coverings  of  the  beds  should  be  removed 
during  warm  days  and  entirely  removed  a  week  or  ten  days  before 
the  plants  are  set  out  in  the  field.  Water  should  be  withheld  to  some 
extent  the  last  week  or  ten  days  before  transplanting,  as  this  also 
helps  to  harden  the  plants  and  make  them  better  able  to  withstand 
the  shock  of  transplanting. 

Growing  Plants  in  Coldframes. — The  coldframe  is  much  more 
commonly  used  in  California  for  growing  early  cabbage  plants  than 
is  the  hotbed.  In  most  sections,  even  during  the  winter,  the  weather 
is  so  mild  that  cabbage  plants  can  be  started  if  the  frames  are  located 
in  a  protected  place  and  covered  with  glass  or  muslin.  The  plants 
grown  in  coldframes  are  usually  more  vigorous,  stockier  and  hardier 
than  those  grown  in  hotbeds.  The  coldframe  is  similar  to  hotbed 
except  that  no  excavation  or  pit  is  dug  and  there  is  no  bottom  heat. 
The  frame  rests  directly  on  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Figure  4 
shows  top  view  of  coldframe  with  dimensions  and  method  of  con- 
struction. The  seed  germinates  more  slowly  in  the  coldframe  than  in 
the  hotbed  and  it  takes  a  little  longer  for  the  plant  to  reach  the 
transplanting  stage. 

Grovnng  Plants  in  Open  Beds. — In  most  sections  of  California, 
and  during  most  of  the  year,  the  plants  are  grown  in  open  beds.  If 
they  are  grown  during  the  warm  season  the  seed  is  often  drilled  in 
beds  in  the  open  field.  If  grown  during  the  winter,  the  seed  bed  is 
located  in  a  more   or  less  protected  place.    Wherever  possible   the 


12 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 


seeding  is  done  in  the  open  field  on  a  good  sandy  loam  soil  of  medium 
fertility.  Land  for  the  seed  bed  should  be  well  leveled,  irrigated  if 
necessary,  plowed  and  then  put  into  a  finely  pulverized  condition. 
The  two  types  of  open  field  beds  generally  used  are  the  sunken  or 
panel  bed,  and  the  raised  seed  bed.  Where  the  soil  is  light  and  porous 
and  not  subject  to  packing,  sunken  seed  beds  are  preferable.    The 


Pig.  5. — Cabbage  plants  of  the  proper  size  for  transplanting. 

latter  are  prepared  in  long  narrow  lands,  12  to  16  feet  wide,  with 
small  levees  on  each  side  to  facilitate  irrigation  by  flooding.  On  the 
heavier  types  of  soil  that  form  a  thick  crust  after  irrigation,  raised 
beds  similar  to  those  used  for  the  growing  of  lettuce  have  been  found 
more  satisfactory.  The  raised  beds  are  usually  about  6  inches  high 
and  18  inches  wide,  with  irrigation  furrows  between.  Each  bed  has 
two  rows  of  plants,  which  are  spaced  10  to  12  inches  apart.  Twelve 
to  15  pounds  of  seed  is  sufficient  to  plant  one  acre  of  seed  bed,  which 
in  turn  will  produce  enough  plants  for  setting  20  to  25  acres.   Seed  is 


ClRC.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  13 

sown  with  a  hand  drill  sufficiently  deep  to  be  in  contact  with  moist 
soil,  but  not  deep  enough  to  prevent  the  germinating  seedlings  from 
reaching  the  surface.  One-half  to  three-fourths  of  an  inch  in  depth 
is  usually  sufficient. 

The  time  required  for  plants  to  reach  the  transplanting  age  varies 
with  the  time  of  the  year.  During  the  cooler  portion  of  the  year 
eight  to  nine  weeks  are  usually  sufficient.  If  the  plants  are  grown 
during  the  warm  part  of  the  year  a  much  shorter  time,  approximately 
six  weeks  will  bring  the  plants  to  the  proper  size.  An  effort  should  be 
made  to  grow  the  plants  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have  a  uniform 
continuous  growth.  Stunting  of  the  plants  in  the  seed  bed  is  often 
one  of  the  chief  reasons  for  poor  heading  and  crop  failure.  In  some 
parts  of  the  state  the  plants  are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  crowded 
seed  bed  for  a  period  of  twelve  to  fifteen  weeks.  The  plants  then 
become  badly  stunted,  the  stems  become  woody,  the  lower  leaves  turn 
yellow  and  drop  off,  and  the  plant  is  slow  to  start  into  growth  after 
transplanting. 

FIELD  CULTURE 

Sods  and  Fertilizers. — Cabbage  will  adapt  itself  to  a  wide  range 
of  soil  types.  Large  acreages  are  grown  on  muck,  clay  loam  and 
sandy  loam  soils.  The  earliest  cabbage  is  grown  on  the  lighter  types 
of  soil  that  warm  up  rapidly  in  the  spring.  The  largest  crops  are 
produced,  however,  on  the  heavier  soils.  The  cabbage  crop  should  be 
given  liberal  fertilization ;  an  application  of  10  to  20  tons  per  acre  of 
well  rotted  barnyard  manure  is  often  made.  Commercial  fertilizer 
should  be  applied  providing  barnyard  manure  cannot  be  obtained  at 
a  reasonable  cost.  The  amount  and  mixture  to  apply  depends  upon 
the  original  fertility  of  the  soil.  Ammonium  sulfate  and  nitrate  of 
soda  are  used  to  a  considerable  extent  along  the  coast  and  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  state.  These  fertilizers  are  applied  in  amounts 
sufficient  to  add  50  to  100  pounds  of  nitrogen  per  acre.  Part  of  this 
may  be  applied  before  planting  the  crop  and  the  remainder  added  as 
a  top  dressing  while  the  crop  is  growing.  It  is  almost  impossible  to 
lay  down  rules  for  fertilizer  applications  that  will  hold  for  the  entire 
state,  or  even  for  any  large  district  within  the  state.  The  grower 
should  make  a  number  of  fertilizer  tests  on  his  own  farm  and  deter- 
mine the  most  profitable  amount  to  apply  and  the  best  formula  to  use. 

Transplanting. — The  plants  are  usually  set  on  the  sides  or  bottoms 
of  furrows,  if  planted  during  the  dry  part  of  the  year.  Figure  6 
shows  the  method  of  planting  prevalent  in  most  sections  of  the  state. 
The  number  of  plants  required  to  plant  an  acre  can  be  determined 


14 


UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 


by  multiplying  the  distance  in  feet  between  plants  in  the  row,  by  the 
distance  between  rows,  and  dividing  this  product  into  43,560,  which 
is  the  number  of  square  feet  in  one  acre.  Small  acreages  are  usually 
planted  by  hand  by  the  use  of  dibbles,  trowels,  spades  or  the 
"scandigie."  Some  of  the  larger  plantings  are  made  by  the  use  of 
horse  drawn  transplanters.  The  distance  between  plants  varies  with 
the  variety.  Large  heads  are  not  especially  desirable  for  shipping 
purposes  and  when  the  larger  types  are  planted  for  shipping  they 
should  be  crowded  somewhat  so  that  a  smaller  head  will  be  produced. 


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Fig.  6. — Cabbage  plants  when  transplanted  are  placed  on  the  sides  of  the 
ridges  or  in  the  bottoms  of  the  furrows  in  the  same  way  as  the  cauliflower  plants 
shown  above. 


Cultivation. — The  cabbage  crop  responds  to  good  care ;  it  will  not 
tolerate  neglect  like  some  other  truck  crops.  The  chief  object  of 
cultivation  should  be  to  keep  the  weeds  under  control.  Cultivation 
should  be  shallow  in  order  not  to  destroy  the  roots  that  feed  in  the 
surface  soil.  Everything  possible  in  the  way  of  tillage,  regulation  of 
Avater  supply,  and  fertilization  should  be  done  to  keep  the  plants  in 
a  healthy  growing  condition,  and  development  should  not  be  severely 
checked  at  any  time. 

Bolting. — In  some  parts  of  southern  California  cabbage  seed  is 
often  sown  late  in  the  fall.  Although  the  plants  are  set  in  the  field 
when  of  proper  size,  they  make  very  little  growth  for  a  period  during 
the  winter.  Often  a  high  percentage  of  these  plants  form  seed  stems 
instead  of  marketable  heads.  This  tendency  to  produce  flowers  instead 
of  heads  has  usually  been  attributed  to  a  checking  of  the  growth  by 
low  temperature.  However,  it  has  been  shown  that  the  tendency  to 
bolt  is  at  least  due  in  part  to  hereditary  factors.    In  eastern  Virginia 


ClRC.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION    IN    CALIFORNIA  15 

the  Copenhagen  Market  variety  cannot  be  used  for  the  early  crop 
because  of  its  tendency  to  bolt.  Experiments  at  the  Virginia  Truck 
Experiment  Station  show  a  difference  between  strains  of  Early  Jersey 
Wakefield  in  percentage  of  plants  forming  seed  stalks  prematurely. 
Bulletins  37  and  38  of  the  station  mentioned  state,  "Indications  are 
that  certain  inherent  tendencies  in  the  seed  itself  contribute  to  this 
condition.  ...  In  the  four  earliest  lots  of  early  Jersey  Wakefield 
an  average  of  10.9  per  cent  of  the  plants  went  to  seed  as  compared 
with  21.7  per  cent  in  the  four  latest  heading  lots.  This  correlation 
between  early  uniform  heading  and  low  percentage  of  seed  stalks  has 
been  frequently  noted  in  the  commercial  fields.  The  plants  which 
form  a  small  compact  head  early  in  the  season  are  less  likely  to  seed 
prematurely  than  those  which  are  somewhat  open  headed  and  leafy." 
In  Maryland  it  was  found  that  large  over-wintered  plants  produced 
more  seeders  in  the  spring  than  small  ones.  Starting  plants  late  or 
growing  them  on  poor  soil  to  keep  the  size  small  reduces  considerably 
the  percentage  of  seeders. 

HARVESTING,    GRADING   AND    PACKING 

Growers  and  shippers  should  take  great  care  in  harvesting  and 
grading  their  product.  Kough  handling  in  harvesting  and  packing 
will  cause  bruises  that  facilitate  the  entrance  of  disease  that  may 
cause  much  loss  to  the  shipper.  Most  shippers  use  the  standard  lettuce 
crate.  The  crate  should  be  well  packed  and  given  a  good  bulge  to 
take  care  of  shrinkage  due  to  loss  of  water  in  transit.  Heads  packed 
tightly  are  less  liable  to  bruise  and  injury  than  when  free  to  move 
within  the  crates.  Rigid  grading  is  of  utmost  importance  to  the  Cali- 
fornia shipper.  It  is  only  by  placing  a  superior  product  on  the 
markets  of  the  eastern,  central,  and  middle  western  states  that  we  can 
hope  to  compete  with  the  districts  nearer  the  large  consuming  centers. 
Standard  grades  have  been  established  to  serve  as  a  guide  for  growers 
and  packers  in  the  grading  of  their  produce  and  to  aid  state  and 
federal  inspection  at  the  point  of  shipment  and  upon  arrival  at 
destination. 

GRADES 

The  United  States  grades  for  cabbage  as  issued  on  October  1, 
1924,  are  as  follows: 

V .  S.  No.  1  shall  consist  of  heads  of  cabbage  which  are  of  one  type, 
of  reasonable  solidity  and  well  trimmed ;  which  are  not  soft,  withered, 
puffy  or  burst;  which  are  free  from  soft  rot,  seed  stems  and  from 
damage  caused  by  discoloration,  freezing,  disease,  insects,  or  mechan- 
ical or  other  means. 


16  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

"In  order  to  allow  for  variations  incident  to  proper  grading  and 
handling,  not  more  than  10  per  cent,  by  weight,  of  any  lot  may  be 
below  the  requirements  of  this  grade,  but  not  to  exceed  one-fifth  of 
this  amount  or  2  per  cent  may  be  allowed  for  decay. 

U.  S.  No.  2  shall  consist  of  heads  of  cabbage  which  do  not  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  foregoing  grade. 

Size. — "In  addition  to  the  statement  of  grade,  any  lot  may  be 
classified  as  Small,  Medium,  Large,  Small  to  Medium,  or  Medium 
to  Large. 

SMALL  MEDIUM  LARGE 

Pointed    Under  1%  pounds      iy2  to  3  pounds        Over  3  pounds 

Domestic "2  "  2  to  5       "  Over  5       " 

Danish "       3  "  3  to  6       "  Over  6       " 

In  order  to  allow  for  variations  in  sizing,  not  more  than  a  total  of 
15  per  cent,  by  weight,  of  any  lot  may  vary  from  the  size  specifica- 
tions, but  not  more  than  10  per  cent  may  be  either  above  or  below 
requirements  for  each  class.  This  tolerance  is  in  addition  to  the 
tolerance  for  the  grade. 

Definition  of  Terms: — "As  used  in  these  grades: 

"  'One  type'  means  that  all  the  lot  is  Pointed,  Danish,  Domestic, 
Savoy  or  Red,  as  the  case  may  be. 

"  'Pointed  type'  includes  such  varieties  as  Early  Jersey  Wake- 
field, Charleston  Wakefield,  Early  York,  Winningstadt,  and  others 
which  normally  develop  oblong,  conical  or  pointed  shaped  heads. 

"  'Danish  type'  includes  such  late  maturing  varieties  as  Danish 
Ballhead  or  Hollander  and  Danish  Roundhead,  etc.,  and  such  early 
maturing  varieties  as  Cannonball,  Danish  Summer  Ballhead,  etc., 
which  normally  develop  hard,  tight-leaved,  compactly  formed  heads. 
A  head  of  any  such  variety  even  after  trimming  will  appear  tight 
and  smooth-leaved  around  the  basal  portion  and  when  viewed  from 
the  stem  end,  circular  and  regular  in  outline. 

"  'Domestic  type'  includes  such  varieties  as  Succession,  All  Head 
Early,  Flat  Dutch  and  others  that  are  commonly  termed  Domestic 
and  which  normally  develop  heads  flat  in  shape  and  less  compactly 
formed  than  those  of  the  Danish  type.  The  term  also  includes  such 
varieties  as  Copenhagen,  Glory  of  Enkhuizen,  and  others  that  develop 
heads  roundish  in  shape  but  which  in  solidity  of  head  and  storage 
qualities  are  similar  to  the  flat  Domestic  type. 

' '  '  Reasonable  solidity '  means  fairly  firm  for  pointed  type  cabbage 
and  southern  Domestic  type  cabbage.  Northern  Domestic  type  cab- 
bage shall  be  firm  and  Danish  or  Hollander  type  fairly  hard. 


ClRC.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  17 

"  'Well  trimmed'  means  that  the  head  shall  have  not  more  than 
four  wrapper  leaves  attached  and  any  portion  of  these  leaves  appre- 
ciably injured  by  worms  or  other  means  shall  be  removed,  and  the 
stem  shall  not  be  longer  than  one-half  inch. 

"  'Soft'  means  loosely  formed  or  lacking  compactness. 

"  'Puffy'  means  that  the  heads  are  very  light  in  weight  in  com- 
parison to  size  and  have  air  spaces  in  the  central  portion.  They 
normally  feel  firm  at  time  of  harvesting  but  soften  quickly.  They 
are  known  as  'Balloon  Heads'  in  certain  sections. 

"  'Seed  stems'  means  those  heads  which  have  seed  stalks  showing 
or  in  which  the  formation  of  seed  stalks  has  plainly  begun. 

"  'Free  from  damage'  means  that  the  head  shall  not  be  injured 
to  an  extent  readily  apparent  upon  examination." 

INSPECTION 

"In  July,  1920,  there  was  established  in  California  a  commercial 
shipping  point  inspection  service  carried  on  by  the  Bureau  of  Stand- 
ardization, State  Department  of  Agriculture.  This  service  employs 
a  corps  of  experienced,  highly  trained  men  who  are  authorized  to 
inspect  and  certify  to  the  exact  quality  and  condition  of  the  produce 
at  time  of  packing  and  shipping.  The  demand  for  this  service  has 
increased  steadily  and  its  scope  and  importance  has  been  greatly 
enlarged.  ...  On  July  1,  1922,  this  service  was  federalized,  each 
inspector  being  deputized  by  the  federal  government,  and  certificates 
issued  are  now  prima  facie  evidence  in  all  courts  of  the  United 
States. 

' '  This  inspection  service  is  available  in  all  of  the  leading  vegetable 
producing  sections  in  the  state.  The  certificate  shows  the  hour  and 
date  of  inspection,  inspection  or  shipping  point,  name  and  address 
of  the  shipper  and  consignee  (when  given),  car  initials  and  number, 
kind  of  car  and  its  condition,  if  a  refrigerator  the  amount  of  ice  in 
the  bunkers;  the  quantity  of  the  products  inspected;  description  of 
load  and  container;  condition  of  pack;  sizing,  quality  and  condition 
of  the  products;  color,  grade,  remarks.  The  buyer,  therefore,  knows 
the  exact  quality  and  condition  of  the  product  at  the  time  the  car  is 
loaded,  although  he  may  be  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  ship- 
ping point.  These  shipping-point  certificates  are  valuable  to  the 
grower  as  they  protect  his  interest  in  the  adjustment  of  claims  or  on 
a  declining  market.  On  the  other  hand,  the  buyer  is  assured  that  he 
will  receive  the  quality  of  produce  for  which  he  has  paid  before 

2Weishaar,  L.  J.,  and  Eogers,  S.  S.    The  successful  marketing  of  California 
vegetables.    California  State  Dept.  Agr.    Special  Publication  No.  32:1-12.    1922. 


18  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

seeing  it.  Whenever  requested,  a  telegram  giving  the  substance  of 
an  inspection  will  be  sent  '  collect '  to  the  buyer  or  any  other  interested 
party,  so  that  the  exact  condition  of  a  carload  can  be  ascertained 
before  the  sale  is  even  consummated." 

INSECTS   AND    DISEASES  WITH    METHODS   OF    CONTROL 

Cabbage  Boot  Maggot. — It  is  during  the  larval  stage  that  the 
cabbage  root  maggot  does  its  destructive  work.  The  adult  flies  lay 
their  eggs  on  the  stem  of  the  cabbage  plant  near  the  surface  of  the 
ground  or  on  the  soil  in  close  proximity  to  the  plant.  The  larvae  are 
hatched  within  a  few  days,  the  length  of  time  required  for  hatching 
depending  largely  upon  the  temperature.  The  young  larvae  migrate 
to  the  stem  and  roots  below  ground  and  there  feed  upon  the  epidermis 
and  cortex  and  often  burrow  the  entire  system  below  ground.  The 
larvae  or  maggots  are  white  in  color  and  about  one-fourth  inch  in 
length  when  full  grown.  If  the  plant  is  badly  infested  it  wilts  down 
and  in  the  majority  of  cases  does  not  recover.  When  the  attack  is 
light  about  the  only  evidence  is  a  decrease  in  the  rate  of  growth  of 
the  plant. 

As  the  root  maggot  infests  many  of  the  mustard  crops,  such  as 
radishes,  turnips  and  cauliflower,  it  is  desirable  to  practice  a  rota- 
tion with  crops  not  related  to  this  group.  The  soil  should  be  plowed 
and  worked  during  the  late  fall,  winter  and  early  spring  to  expose 
and  destroy  the  pupae.  Tarred  paper  disks  have  been  used  exten- 
sively to  prevent  the  adult  flies  from  depositing  their  eggs  about  the 
plant.  The  disks  should  be  placed  about  the  plant  at  transplanting 
time  or  at  least  before  the  flies  start  to  deposit  their  eggs. 

Corrosive  sublimate  is  now  being  used  in  most  regions  for  the 
control  of  this  pest.  The  first  application  must  be  made  3  or  4  days 
after  transplanting;  the  second  application  9  or  10  days  after  trans- 
planting, and  the  third  application  19  or  20  days  after  transplanting. 
Late  applications  should  not  be  made  because  of  the  danger  of 
poisoning  the  consumer.  Dissolve  one  ounce  of  corrosive  sublimate 
in  a  small  amount  of  hot  water,  then  add  water  sufficient  to  make  10 
gallons.  Pour  one-fourth  teacup  of  this  solution  about  the  stem  of 
each  plant  at  each  treatment.  This  material  is  corrosive,  therefore 
should  be  mixed  in  wooden  or  earthen  containers.  The  cost  of  each 
application  is  eight  to  ten  dollars  an  acre.  It  will  take  approximately 
200  gallons  of  solution  to  the  acre  for  each  application. 

Cabbage  Aphis. — Cabbage  aphis  infestations  are  very  general 
throughout  the  state,  not  only  attacking  cabbage  but  many  of  the 


CIRC.  262]  CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA  19 

related  Brassicas.  The  aphis  colonies  are  usually  found  on  the  under- 
side of  the  older  leaves  and  on  the  young  succulent  inner  leaves. 
They  lower  the  vitality  of  the  plant  by  sucking  out  the  juice.  When 
the  colonies  appear  on  the  edges  of  the  leaf,  they  cause  it  to  curl 
inward.  They  can  often  be  detected  by  the  appearance  of  yellowish 
spots  on  the  leaves  where  the  tissue  has  been  injured.  The  cabbage 
aphis  is  kept  under  control  to  a  certain  extent  by  numerous  para- 
sitic enemies,  which  become  most  active  as  the  weather  becomes  warm, 
and  also  predaceous  insects  such  as  the  ladybird  beetles  and  syrphus 
fly  larvae.   Hard  driving  rains  also  destroy  many  of  these  aphis. 

A  good  liquid  spray  for  control  of  aphis  is  made  up  of  the 
following : 

Nicotine  sulfate    (40  per  cent) 1  pint 

Fish  oil   soap 5  pounds 

Water    100  gallons 

As  a  general  thing  it  is  rather  difficult  under  field  conditions  to  obtain 
a  perfect  kill  with  any  liquid  spray,  because  of  the  protection 
afforded  by  the  leaves.  An  effort  should  be  made,  therefore,  to  have 
the  spray  reach  the  undersides  of  the  leaves  and  especially  the  central 
ones,  for  to  be  effective,  the  spray  must  actually  come  into  contact 
with  the  aphis. 

Dusts  containing  nicotine  sulphate  are  being  used  more  and  more 
for  the  control  of  cabbage  aphis.  The  dust  can  be  blown  into  and 
about  the  plant  so  that  the  particles  carrying  the  nicotine  sulphate 
come  into  contact  with  every  part.  The  dust  that  has  been  found  to 
give  the  most  satisfactory  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  economical 
control,  is  made  by  using  95  pounds  of  hydrated  lime  with  5  pounds 
of  40  per  cent  nicotine  sulphate.  Mixing  should  be  thorough  and 
only  sufficient  made  at  one  time  for  immediate  use.  Mixing  can  be 
done  in  a  cider  barrel  mounted  on  a  frame  so  that  it  can  be  rotated. 
An  opening  about  six  by  eight  inches  is  cut  on  one  side  of  the  barrel 
for  a  door.  This  door  should  be  made  tight  to  prevent  leakage. 
Hydrated  lime  or  some  other  carrier  is  placed  in  the  barrel.  The 
requisite  amount  of  nicotine  sulphate  is  then  poured  on  top  of  the 
lime.  For  each  pound  of  dust  about  one-half  pound  of  pebbles  % 
to  ly^  inches  in  diameter  is  placed  in  the  container.  The  keg  is  then 
rotated  at  the  rate  of  about  35  revolutions  per  minute  for  five  minutes. 
The  dust  is  then  poured  into  a  box  below  the  barrel.  The  box  is 
covered  with  a  screen  to  catch  the  pebbles  which  are  put  back  into 
the  mixer.  If  the  dust  is  not  used  at  once  it  should  be  stored  in  tight 
metal  containers.  The  dust  should  be  applied  on  warm  days  if  pos- 
sible.   When  power  dusters  are  used  long  trailers  should  be  used  as 


20  UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT    STATION 

shown  in  figure  7.  On  cabbage  less  than  half  grown  about  30  pounds 
of  dust  to  the  acre  will  be  required,  and  on  more  mature  plants  about 
50  pounds  to  the  acre. 

It  is  often  good  practice  to  dip  the  plants  in  the  nicotine 
solution  mentioned  above  just  after  removing  from  the  seed  bed  and 
then  placing  them  in  tight  boxes  until  time  for  transplanting.  This 
prevents  carrying  lice  from  the  seed  bed  into  the  field.  The  native 
Brassicas  are  very  numerous  in  California.  They  serve  as  hosts  to 
the  cabbage  aphis  and  therefore  should  be  kept  under  control. 


Fig.  7. — Dusting  for  control  of  aphis.  The  best  control  is  obtained  in  the 
seed  bed,  and  in  the  field,  when  a  trailer  is  used  behind  the  duster  to  hold  the 
dust  near  the  plants.    (From  Agr.  Ext.  Cir.  11.) 

Cutworms. — In  some  sections,  especially  on  land  that  has  recently 
been  in  sod,  cutworms  destroy  many  young  plants  by  cutting  them 
off.  The  best  method  of  control  is  by  the  use  of  poisoned  baits.  The 
following  formula  is  recommended: 

Bran 25  pounds 

White    Arsenic    1  pound 

Molasses    (cheap  blackstrap  preferred) 2  quarts 

The  arsenic  and  dry  bran  are  first  thoroughly  mixed.  The 
molasses  is  diluted  with  a  small  amount  of  water  and  then  mixed 
with  the  bran  to  form  a  moist  mash.  A  crumbly  mash  is  preferable 
to  one  that  is  so  wet  that  it  is  sloppy.  The  mash  should  stand  for 
several  hours  in  order  to  give  the  bran  an  opportunity  to  take  up  the 
arsenic.    The  mash  is  then  scattered  along  the  rows  or  near  the  base 


CIRC.  262]  CABBAGE  PRODUCTION  IN   CALIFORNIA  21 

of  the  plants.  It  is  best  to  make  the  application  toward  evening  since 
the  cutworms  feed  chiefly  at  night. 

Common  Cabbage  Worm. — The  cabbage  worm  is  without  doubt 
the  most  serious  pest  with  which  the  cabbage  grower  in  California 
has  to  contend.  Although  it  is  fairly  easy  to  control,  nevertheless 
the  damage  caused  by  this  pest  on  the  late  summer  and  fall  crops  is 
tremendous.  Arsenicals  have  proven  to  give  the  best  control.  There 
is  a  hesitancy  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  growers  to  apply  lead 
arsenate  or  other  arsenical  sprays  because  of  the  possible  danger  to 
the  consumer.  Arsenicals,  however,  can  be  used  as  a  control  without 
danger  of  poisoning,  as  the  cabbage  head  grows  from  the  inside  and 
all  of  the  leaves  that  the  spray  can  possibly  reach  are  discarded  in 
the  field  at  the  time  of  cutting  and  trimming,  and  by  the  ultimate 
consumer  in  the  final  preparation  for  the  table.  As  a  result  of  this 
fear  of  using  arsenical  sprays  many  other  non-arsenical  sprays  and 
dusts  have  been  used  that  have  given  little  or  no  control,  with  conse- 
quent great  loss  to  the  grower.  In  the  young  plant  the  larvae  eat  the 
succulent  leaves  and  when  the  attack  is  severe  often  only  a  network 
of  veins  is  left.  In  the  older  plant,  after  the  head  has  started  to  form, 
the  worms  often  bore  into  the  head,  ruining  it  for  market.  Some  of 
the  most  serious  infestations  take  place  in  the  plant  beds.  Arsenicals 
can  be  applied  in  solution  or  as  a  dust.  A  recommended  liquid  spray 
is  1%  pounds  of  powdered  lead  arsenate,  or  3  pounds  of  lead  arsenate 
paste,  to  50  gallons  of  water.  In  order  to  make  the  spray  adhere  and 
spread  out  in  a  thin  film  over  the  leaves,  1  pound  of  common  laundry 
soap  should  be  added  to  each  50  gallons  of  solution.  The  time  to  spray 
and  number  of  applications  to  make  depends  entirely  upon  the 
infestation.  Sometimes  one  or  two  sprayings  at  the  proper  time  will 
be  sufficient  for  the  entire  season.  Again,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
spray  every  ten  days  or  two  weeks. 

Excellent  control  can  be  obtained  by  dusting  with  a  mixture  of 
1  pound  of  powdered  lead  arsenate  and  8  to  10  pounds  of  air-slaked 
lime  or  gypsum  (land  plaster).  The  dust  can  be  applied  with  a 
power  duster,  or  hand  duster;  by  shaking  through  a  burlap  sack  or 
a  tin  can  perforated  at  one  end.  The  method  used  depends  largely 
on  the  size  of  the  area  to  be  treated.  Dust  should  be  applied  early 
in  the  morning  while  the  dew  is  still  on  the  plants.  Figure  8  shows  a 
female  specimen  of  the  cabbage  butterfly. 

Cabbage  Looper. — The  larva  of  the  cabbage  looper  is  pale  to  dark 
green  in  color,  and  when  walking,  the  central  part  of  the  body  forms  a 
loop  or  arch.  Control  may  be  secured  by  the  same  methods  as  that 
given  for  the  common  cabbage  worm,  though  somewhat  more  difficult. 


22  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT   STATION 

Diamond-lack  Moth. — Larvae  of  the  diamond-back  moth  may  also 
cause  injury  at  times.  When  mature,  it  is  about  three-tenths  inch 
in  length  and  pale  green  in  color.  It  is  active  and  very  irritable. 
The  control  is  the  same  as  for  the  green  cabbage  worm. 

Harlequin  Cabbage  Bug. — The  adult  harlequin  cabbage  bug  is 
shining  black  or  deep  blue  marked  with  brilliant  orange  or  red.  It  is 
about  one-half  inch  long  and  flattened.  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  plant 
in  double  rows,  usually  about  a  dozen  eggs  being  present  in  one 
cluster.  Both  the  adults  and  young  suck  the  juice  from  the  leaves; 
the  affected  parts  then  become  yellow — wither  and  die. 


Fig.  8. — Female  butterfly  of  the  imported  cabbage  worm  Pontia  rapae  (Linn.) 
enlarged  one  and  one-half  times.     (After  E.  O.  Essig.) 

As  it  is  rather  difficult  to  control  these  insects  with  the  ordinary 
contact  insecticides,  preventive  measures  must  be  used.  Very  good 
control  can  be  secured  by  hand  picking  the  adults  when  they  first 
appear  in  the  field;  since  they  are  very  sluggish,  they  can  be  caught 
with  little  effort  and  dropped  into  a  can  of  kerosene.  When  observed, 
the  egg  masses  should  be  picked  and  destroyed  also.  Where  the  insects 
are  abundant,  trap  crops  such  as  kale,  and  other  brassicas,  should  be 
planted  to  precede  the  commercial  crop.  The  insect  can  then  be 
destroyed  by  spraying  with  kerosene.  All  weeds,  especially  those 
belonging  to  the  mustard  family,  should  be  destroyed  throughout  the 
year.  During  the  winter  they  serve  as  a  source  of  food  and  also  as  a 
means  of  protection  for  this  pest.  The  nymphs  can  be  killed  by  use 
of  a  10  per  cent  kerosene  emulsion,  or  a  whale  oil  soap  solution  con- 
sisting of  2  pounds  of  soap  to  4  gallons  of  water.  These  sprays, 
however,  are  not  effective  against  the  adults. 


Cibc.  262] 


CABBAGE   PRODUCTION   IN    CALIFORNIA 


23 


Diseases  of  Cabbage. — Many  of  the  cabbage  diseases  so  prevalent 
in  the  eastern  and  northern  cabbage  sections  of  the  United  States 
are  of  little  concern  to  the  cabbage  growers  in  California.  This  is 
due,  no  doubt,  largely  to  the  fact  that  cabbage  is  here  produced 


Fig.  9. — Cabbage  roots   showing   characteristic   swelling  caused   by  nematode 
worms.    (After  L.  L.  Harter.) 


mainly  during  the  fall,  winter  and  early  spring,  when  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  soil  and  atmosphere  is  uniformly  low. 

Nematodes. — The  nematode,  eel  worm,  or  gall  worm,  as  it  is  often 
termed,  because  of  the  gall-like  growth  it  produces  on  the  roots  of 
plants,  has  not  been  reported  as  a  very  serious  pest  on  the  cabbage. 


24  UNIVERSITY   OF    CALIFORNIA — EXPERIMENT    STATION 

Its  presence  in  the  tissue  of  the  root  causes  stimulation  of  growth  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  parasite  with  resultant  gall  formation.  Nematodes 
are  seldom  found  in  the  heavier  soil  types  but  are  prevalent  in  soils 
of  a  light  sandy  nature,  especially  in  the  southern  districts.  Infected 
plants  are  retarded  in  growth  and  have  a  stunted  appearance  and 
when  pulled  up  the  roots  have  the  characteristic  knotty  growths. 
Cereal  and  grass  crops  are  resistant  to  the  nematode  and  should  be 
used  in  the  rotation  if  the  infestation  is  severe.  Iron  and  Brabham 
varieties  of  cowpeas  and  velvet  beans  are  almost  entirely  immune  to 
nematode  attack,  and  can  be  planted  as  a  green  manure  crop  if 
adapted  to  the  locality  in  preference  to  other  legumes  that  are  more 
susceptible. 

Care  should  be  used  to  select  a  seed  bed  free  from  nematodes. 
An  entire  field  may  become  infested  as  a  result  of  the  plants  becoming 
infested  in  the  seed  bed.  Plants  should  not  be  imported  from  localities 
known  to  be  badly  infested  with  nematodes.  Figure  9  shows  the 
appearance  of  cabbage  roots  that  are  badly  infested. 

Damping  Off. — This  is  a  seedling  disease  prevalent  in  the  seed  bed. 
The  common  symptom  is  a  shriveling  of  the  stem  at  the  surface  of 
the  ground  and  the  falling  over  and  dying  of  the  young  plant.  This 
damping  off  may  be  caused  by  a  number  of  different  fungi  and  is 
most  prevalent  in  seed  beds  that  are  crowded,  damp  and  poorly 
ventilated.  In  attempting  to  control  this  disease  preventive  rather 
than  curative  measures  should  be  used.  New  soil  should  be  used  each 
year  for  the  seed  bed.  The  light,  well  drained,  sandy  loam  soils  are 
better  than  the  heavier  types.  The  surface  of  the  bed  should  be 
stirred  frequently  to  facilitate  drying  and  air  circulation.  The  bed 
should  be  located  where  it  will  get  plenty  of  sunlight  and  ventilation. 
On  cloudy  days  the  beds  should  not  be  watered;  on  bright  days  they 
should  be  watered  early  in  the  morning.  Waterings  should  be 
thorough,  but  not  too  frequent.  The  rows  of  plants  should  be  far 
enough  apart  to  allow  a  good  circulation  of  air  and  to  permit  the 
sun 's  rays  to  strike  the  soil. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

Many  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  R.  G.  Risser,  Mr.  F.  H.  Ernst  and  Mr. 
F.  G.  Beyschlag  for  suggestions  in  the  revision  of  this  circular. 


lOm-9,'28 


